The GRAMMY Museum



Public Programs   View past programs

Evening Programs/Discount Museum Admission

On evenings of Public Programs, guests who purchase Museum admission at the Box Office after 6:00pm will receive a discounted rate of $10 per person.

Master Class: Elvis Presley and The Birth of Rock & Roll

Wednesday, January 20, 2010; 7:30pm - 9pm (past)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010; 7:30pm - 9pm (past)
Monday, February 22, 2010; 7:30pm - 9pm

Elvis Presley is generally considered to have given birth to rock & roll. Although he certainly did his part, there was a musical groundswell in America that began in the years immediately following World War II that crested with Presley in the year 1956. "Elvis Presley and the Birth of Rock & Roll" explores the roots of this great American music form. It examines the musical, racial and cultural issues that led to the emergence of rock & roll, along with the artists, many of whom precede Presley, that were instrumental in creating rock & roll's earliest sounds and sensibilities. Finally, the class will look at the roles Presley, Sam Phillips, and others in Memphis played in the rock & roll explosion. The class will feature rare film footage and recordings, plus interview clips culled from never-before-heard oral histories. Classmember participation and discussion is encouraged. Classes are designed as a series, but can be attended individually.

All classes will be taught by Executive Director Robert Santelli. Santelli taught courses on American music history at Monmouth and Rutgers Universities in New Jersey and the University of Washington in Seattle. He has written extensively on American music for Rolling Stone and other publications, as well as more than a dozen books on American music.

Open to both Museum Members and the public, classes are free and will be held in the GRAMMY Sound Stage. To attend, please RSVP to programs@grammymuseum.org.

Nuestra Historia: Los Tucanes de Tijuana

Thursday, February 4, 2010; 7:30pm

Join as The GRAMMY Museum welcomes world-renowned and multi-platinum-selling Mexican band Los Tucanes de Tijuana to the Museum's state-of-the-art Sound Stage. Before an intimate audience of 200, hear critically-acclaimed composer Mario Quintero Lara and the band in conversation about their 22-year career, songwriting process, and newest projects. During the evening, the band will also perform some of their greatest hits acoustically and sign copies of their newest album, Soy Todo Tuyo. Kicking-off the Museum's new "Nuestra Historia" series, this will mark the Museum's first program conducted entirely in Spanish.

Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $20; $15 for Members. Tickets can be purchased in-person at the Museum Box Office, through Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.800.745.3000.

In Performance at the White House:
A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement

Thursday, February 11, 5pm PT
A production of WETA Washington, D.C., in association with The GRAMMY Museum®, AEG Ehrlich Ventures and the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC)

The President and First Lady will host "In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" - a concert celebrating Black History month. Participants include Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Seal, the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Howard University Choir and others. Morgan Freeman and Queen Latifah will serve as emcees for this concert which will feature songs from the Civil Rights Movement as well as readings from famous Civil Rights speeches and writings. It will be televised on February 11th at 8pm ET (5pm PT) on public broadcasting stations nationwide as part of WETA Washington, D.C.'s "In Performance at the White House" series. NPR will also produce a one-hour concert special from this event for broadcast nationwide on NPR Member stations throughout the month of February, beginning February 12. The special will be available at npr.org/music.

Music that Inspired the Movement

Wednesday, February 10, 2010; 10am PT   View a live webcast

The concert will be accompanied by a broader educational program, also developed by The GRAMMY Museum, consisting of a series of visits to greater Washington-area institutions that preserve the history of the Civil Rights Movement and a special "Backstage Pass" program where students will attend a sound check for the concert event and ask questions of the artists. Students will also have the chance to participate in a press conference for student journalists reporting for their school newspapers. For more information, visit pbs.org.

Class Curriculum for Teachers

Teachers may download curriculum materials from Music that Inspired the Movement.

Reel to Reel: Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev’rybody

Tuesday, February 16, 2010; 7:30pm

Join us as The GRAMMY Museum presents the never-before-released concert film, Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev’rybody. Released January 26 by Image Entertainment, the film depicts the rousing 1970 Newport Jazz Festival tribute concert commemorating Armstrong’s 70th birthday. Featuring performances of Armstrong’s greatest hits by Dizzy Gillespie, Mahalia Jackson, Armstrong himself, and more, this high-definition digital restoration of the original unreleased film was produced and directed by jazz legend George Wein and Sidney J. Stiber. A discussion with producer Albert Spevak will follow the screening.

Doors open at 7pm. Admission is free; $10 suggested donation. Reservations required. Members receive priority seating. To reserve your seats, please call 213.765.6830 or e-mail programs@grammymuseum.org.

The GRAMMY Museum has hosted a variety of interesting programs. View past public programs.